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ISLAMABAD: A group of American and Pakistan musicians enthralled the audiences from the twin cities here late Saturday with their jazz fusion performance.
The live concert was organized by the US Embassy in collaboration with Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).
The concert was aimed at introducing contemporary music that blends the traditions of different cultures.
The band 'Ari Roland Quartet' included Ari Jon Roland on Bass, Zaid Nabeel Naseer on Alto Saxophone, Christopher Lawrence Byars on Tenor Saxophone and Keith Gregory Balla on Drums. They created fusion music with Pakistani instrumentalists like Aamir Husain on Sitar, Mohammad Ajmal on Tabla and Muhammad Salman on Flute.
The melodious tunes and enthusiastic performers compelled the audiences to sing and dance at the mesmerizing show.
Aro Roland was born and raised in New York city and became a professional jazz bassist at 16. After studying at the Juilliard School, he played with many of the most important figures in Jazz including Betty Carter, Barry Harris and Lou Donaldson. During the last two years, he has traveled extensively and performed in more than 20 different countries.
Zaid Naseer - The son of jazz and blues master Jamil Naseer, learnt to play from the legends of jazz themselves. His two CDs as a bandleader have received outstanding critical acclaim in the international jazz press.
Chris Byars began his professional music career singing in the Metropolitan Opera in New York at the age of 6, often in lead roles. He has received important awards, grants and commissions for his work as a composer and has written for some of the most important jazz artists in the United States.
Pakistani instrumentalists Aamir Husain, Mohammad Ajmal and Muhammad Salman have represented Pakistan on many forums and received recognition for their extraordinary talent.
